To all whom it may concern



A. D. & L. D. HUFF.

(Jane-Stripper.

No 61.940. Patented Feb. 12, 1867.

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n Letters Patent No. 61,940, dated February 12,1867

IMPROVEMENT IN sosenun srsirrss.

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Be it known that we, A. D. and L. D. Horn, of Clinton, in the county ofClinton, and Stateof Iowa, have invented a new and improved Instrumentfor Stripping and Cutting Sorghum and other Sugar' Canes; and we(lo-hereby declare that the following is a full and exact descriptionthereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, making partof this specification, in which- I i Figure 1 is a perspective view ofour instrument. Figure 2 is a view of the same represented in the act oftopping.

' Figure 3, a view showing the manner of stripping and cutting the stalkafter it has been topped.

Like letters of reference designate correspondingparts in all thefigures. '4

Our improvement relates to the construction ofxan instrument by whichsorghum and other canes can be topped, stripped, and cut by threemotions; and the invention oons'ists'of a knifeformed with two cuttingedges for topping and cutting, in combination with a self-adjustingstripper, which acts conjointly with one of 'the said edges, all ashereafter fully set forth. l i

In the drawings, A represents the wooden handle 'and stock of theinstrument, of suitable and convenient shaggy length, with the operatingend divided into forks or guides, 12 b. C is the knife, formed out of asingle plate, 7 secured to the upper side of the stock A, near its end,and provided with two (preferably concave) cuttingledg es,

i d e, as shown. F is the stripper iron, provided with a forked orcurved end, 9, which is designed to press against the stalk of the caneon one side, while the edge e of the knife operates on the other duringthe operation of stripping, as shown in fig. 3. The shankh of this ironis encircled by a coiled spring, I, or its equivalentfwhich -is securedin a groove in the stock, as shown, or in any other suitable manner, thespring operating to keep the stripper pressed against the stalk, andalso allow it to yield to adapt itself to stalks oi: different sizes. I

Our instrument is operated as follows:' first, the stalk is topped byaninclined thrust upward, the outwardly inclined prongs b b guiding thestalk to the edge cl of the knife, which readilycuts oil the worthless tportion at the point desired, as shown in fig. 2; second, the instrumentisfthen brought tosucheL position-as to bring the end of the toppedstalk between the edge e of the knife and the curved end 9, fig. 3, whenthe instru- 'r'nent is slipped down the stalk, stripping off the leaveswith a single movement; third, the stalk is severed at the bottomv by apull in an upwardly inclined direction, the edge '4'; performing theoperation with the greatest ease, as represented in. red lines, "fig. 3.i

\ I The chief advantage of .our improvement is the amount of laborwhichis saved by its nse,as. an operator with one of ourinstrumentscanperform the work of four ordinary men. It is cheap and simple inconstruction, and easily operated. The stripper iron, with the curvededge e of the knife, fits all sides of the stalk, and

.readily adjusts itself, by means of .its spring,'t o all sizes, whilethe cutting is accomplished by ,the most easy I and natural movement.

i I v 1 What we claim as our invention, is-- v The knife 0, providedwith two cutting cages at e, the first for topping with an endwisethrush and the other for cutting when drawn back, when combined with theforked guides b b of the stock A and solid curved stripper F, arrangedand operating substantially in the manner and for the purposesdescribed.

In witness whereof we'have hereunto signed our names in'the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

' A. -D. 'HUF F,"

I L, HUEF Witnesses:

H.' S. Hn'r'r, F. H. Woonwonrn; Y

